Live at Peace with Your Pastors
Living at peace with your pastors means humbly allowing them to shepherd you through Scripture, partnering with them in ministry, and honoring the people God has used to shape your faith.
I thank God for the ministries of Pastors Jerry Hwang, Jon Szeto, and Steve Loo in my life.
This is an excerpt from my sermon: Life in the Family of God: Two Marks of Christian Community
Will you live at peace with your pastors? Living at peace does not mean doing everything your pastor says. It does not mean that you are not allowed to ask questions. What it does mean is that you see how God has placed these people in your life, and you allow them to shepherd your soul with the staff of Scripture. You give them that privilege in your life.
On a practical level, living at peace means partnering together with your pastors to fulfill the gospel mission. We are called to make disciples, and pastors are glad when their people want to be discipled. They are happy when people want to be helped in discipling others.
This means that, as members of the church, you make yourself available to your pastors. You volunteer and offer your help where it is needed. You commit, and not only do you commit, but you also follow through on those commitments. You don’t hide or make things difficult for them. Instead, you remain open and willing to work together with your pastors.
Irreverent Worship
I’ve been leading worship music for a very long time, ever since I was in elementary school. I played piano during children’s worship, then continued leading music in junior high and eventually in high school. From sixth grade through twelfth grade, I was regularly leading music.
When you’ve been doing something for a long time, it’s easy to get a little lost—to forget the purpose of what you’re doing.
During my senior year, I started becoming somewhat irreverent toward God. When it comes to musical worship, I believe it should be a place of joy. There is joy in the Lord, and God uses music to help us express that joy. But there was a point when I started making worship more about the act of playing music and sounding good than about caring for God, recognizing His holiness, and shepherding people into His presence.
Correction from My Pastor
My youth pastor at the time, Pastor Jerry Hwang, corrected me. What I appreciated about his correction was that he did it kindly. He didn’t say, “Aaron, I need to talk to you,” in some intimidating way. He simply said, “Hey, can we talk?” He kindly shepherded me and guided me in the right direction.
I also appreciated that he didn’t tell me, “Aaron, you need to stop leading music. You’re totally wrong.” Instead, he said, in essence, “I appreciate what you’re doing. I still want you to serve God, but I want you to do it according to Scripture. The Bible says that we sing to the Lord, but He is still holy.”
And I got it. By God’s grace, I was able to partner with my pastor so that we could continue the work of worshiping God through music ministry. It was a deeply formative part of my life. To this day, whenever I lead music, I love to sing, clap, raise my hands, and experience the joy of worship. But I also don’t forget that God is holy. A lot of that understanding came from my youth pastor, Jerry, who taught me and loved me in a way that brought me back to God. That experience left a lasting impact on me.
How Can You Live at Peace with Your Pastors?
You can start applying this today by being present for your pastors. Notice them. Listen to them. Communicate with them. You can appreciate your pastors by listening to their sermons and taking notes. You can communicate with them by asking questions about the Bible and how to obey God in your life. In doing so, you esteem your pastors by allowing them to speak into your life.
Our pastors want to be our friends. I’m sure they enjoy talking with you about video games, Pokémon, and all kinds of other things. But I guarantee you that they would much rather talk with you about your soul—the state of your soul, your relationship with God, and the things that are truly important.
Your pastors are people, and just like anyone else, they want to be encouraged in the work and ministry they do. So get to know them, and let them get to know you. If you can encourage them, give them words of encouragement and affirmation. Tell them that they’re doing a good job and that you appreciate the work they’re doing in your life. We can come alongside our pastors to appreciate and esteem them.
Remember the Pastors Who Have Invested in You
Think back. You’ll probably remember pastors who have left an impact on your life. I was recently talking with my wife, Jess, and with our marriage small group about the pastors who have impacted me.
One pastor from my past was Pastor Jon Szeto. He came alongside Jess and me while we were dating and guided and shepherded us, showing us what a biblical marriage looked like. He played an important and formative role in our faith, and to this day, I’m thankful for his presence and for the way he showed God’s presence in my life.
Another pastor was Steve Loo. He believed in me and invested in me as a leader. He was the one who first taught me how to be a worship leader. Even though I told him I never wanted to do it, he was also the one who told me that one day I would preach sermons. I really appreciate the pastors who have invested in my life. So don’t forget the work your pastors have done in yours. Thank them. Encourage them. Love them.
A Witness to the Watching World
Living at peace with your pastors shows unity to the watching world.
In a world where distrust and defiance toward authority and leaders are increasingly common, Christians have an opportunity to shine a light.
We can show what Jesus means to us, how He has changed us, and how that change is reflected in the way we love and honor our pastors.
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